


Radioactive Unova: Division

by Bootleg_Pokestar



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Main Video Game Series), Pocket Monsters: Black & White | Pokemon Black and White Versions
Genre: Canon Rewrite, Canon-Typical Violence, Death, Gen, Nuzlocke Challenge, Other Additional Tags to Be Added
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-26
Updated: 2020-06-25
Packaged: 2021-03-03 21:00:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,608
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24921961
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bootleg_Pokestar/pseuds/Bootleg_Pokestar
Summary: After a nuclear war between Unova and Sinnoh, Unova has become a waste land of radiation. The gym challenge becoming less of a sports event and more of a death wish. This doesn’t stop a young girl by the name of Abigale from trying.A Pokémon Black and White retelling from the respective of an Apocalocke (a nuzlocke variant).





	Radioactive Unova: Division

Unova was hot off the heels of a full force nuclear war with Sinnoh. To say that the damage was catastrophic was a major understatement. Both regions’ ecosystems were ravaged by wave after wave of radiation. Many Pokémon populations were wiped out to near extinction. While on the opposite spectrum, many invasive species completely overtook the ecosystem. It was thoroughly a disaster that affected not just the warring regions, but the entire world. 

Life was changed dramatically. That much was obvious. Unova had less than positive reactions to the sheer amount of changes they had to go through. With the end of the war ending victoriously for Unova, at first glance things were looking up. When the worse came due to Alders unfortunate passing, things became all but good. The new champion has already made many questionable actions including with the replacement of multiple gym leaders and Elite 4 members. All except for one of the new members came from other regions, excluding the now banned Sinnoh. Historic sites slowly being torn down for newer buildings and landmarks. 

Unova’s people unanimously hated this. They had just finished what was the most deadly war in history and you’re going to immediately start relying on people from outside? How preposterous! That would only undo all that they fought for! Rumors of a civil war started spreading like wildfire. It was only a matter of time before some kind of uprising against the newly formed champion was going to happen. Simply a matter of what final action would be the nail in the coffin. 

But before anyone could even think of a revolution, everyone had to survive the chemical wasteland.   
People started going insane from the powerful radiation. Violent psychotic personality swings wasn’t one of the side affects nuclear weapons had on their labels. If you were to stay outside for too long without a gas mask, you’d either die or become a shadow of your former self. This affected Pokémon as well, though they had proven to be much more resilient. Things weren’t easy for anyone. Even the strong wills of the Unovan people could only hold out for so long. All people could do now is continue surviving and hope that the heroes of legend came sooner rather than later. 

The trip from Nuvema to Accumula was always a stressful one for the Nuvema town residents. While the route leading up was always trainerless, the Pokémon could be brutal when unprepared. No one in the town had any Pokémon of their own to protect themselves if worse came to worst. The best solution available was to travel in a group and hope the sheer numbers would scare any pokemon from even attempting an attack. 

Dark billowy clouds seemed to be the new norm. Weather only got colder, 50 degrees Fahrenheit was considered a hot and sunny day. Trees wilted and died, leaving little for anything to eat. It was never a desirable trip, but it’s need outweighed any potential dangers. Stores couldn’t stay open like they used to. For a small town like them the only food they had was the supplies the PokéCenters had saved up for everyone in need. Nuvema has no PokéCenters that could provide that for them. Thus, the tradition of a monthly trip to Accumula was started. 

Typically the group only consisted of the young adults of the town. Today was a special occasion. The 15 year old Abigale and Sabry were undergoing training for when they got old enough to get supplies without intensive supervision. 

“This is so exciting! Our first day out, isn’t that great?” Abigale exclaimed. 

“Great really isn’t the word I’d use to describe going out into a world full of crazy people and feral Pokémon.” Sabry coldly retorted, not letting his guard down for a moment. 

The two had been best friends since they were babies. Abigale had a reputation in town for being a rather adamant and headstrong girl. Her hair was dirty blonde and her favorite outfit was a bright blue turtleneck with the pink and purple outline of a litwick. Top it off with typical blue jeans for comfort and she was ready to take on the world. 

Sabry on the other hand was a town favorite. Kind, smart, thoughtful, and mostly importantly, overly cautious. He had neatly brushed black hair that reached to about his shoulders. Sporting a casual look of a red and blue jacket over whatever tee he had on at the time. His favorite outshining feature was his fancy dress pants his parents have saved from the years just for him. 

“Oh don’t be such a worry wart Sabry. There’s so many cool things to see you’ll forget all the bad stuff happening around us.” Abigale skipped along their path, her wheelbarrow clicking behind her. 

Sabry only grew more tense as time passed on, her words really weren’t helping, “Please this isn’t a joke. I know you don’t take seriously but this could be life or death.” 

“Nah dude. This route is walked all the time. It’s not even that long. I mean look at that!” She frantically looked around for anything even remotely interesting, catching her eye on something moving in the bushes, “It’s a... Patrat. Okay admittedly it’s not very interesting but it’s there.”

“I know about the Pokémon that live here already. It makes sense that at most we’d see weaker one’s like Patrat. It’s a normal type, an extremely adaptable typing. One of the few types that where able to grow despite the new landscape. Psychic, Bug, Ghost, and Poison being the other four if I remember correctly. And we don’t get a big variety of Pokémon around route 1.”

“Alright yeesh! I get it smart-alec. Don’t have to ruin this trip for me too.“

It wasn’t before long that the group had finally made it to Accumula. The center was right at the edge of town so it was easy to grab what they needed and go. The group hastily took whatever supplies the center was willing to give. Abigale was thankful this part was fast, as this was certainly the most boring part. She would have loved to do some sightseeing, however the adults forbid it. 

At least the walk back was eventful in the sense that she got to explore a bit more of route 1. Even Sabry had joined in on giving everything a bit of a closer look. His large knowledge on Pokémon habitats provided much needed insight for the more battle centric Abigale. The two investigated as much as their adult supervisors would let them. Seeing the real deal was nothing like the books they would both read together. 

Unfortunately for them the walk back was as short as the walk there. Before long the group was back in Nuvema and heading down into the bunker. Abigale and Sabry following at the very back of the group. It was time to hit the hay, though the sight of a figure moving around caught Abigale’s attention. They went into what she assumed was an abandoned building like the rest of town. It must of been the old lab that was once the center of research for Unova. She assumed it was anyways. The only thing she’s heard of this place is it’s very existence. Instincts kicked into gear and begged her to go investigate.

Abigale nudged her friend, placing the handle of her wheelbarrow into his hands, “Hey Sabry, do me a favor and take this in for me? There’s something by that building I want to check out.” 

“Hey! What do you think-“ Abigale was off towards the distant figure before he could even finish his thought. 

His mind went into a panic checking back and forth between his friend and bringing the supplies in. Quickly choosing against the latter and running off to get his friend back in line. She had natural athletic ability compared to his more study hard lifestyle. Wasn’t fast enough to even catch up to her until she finally stopped at the door of the building. 

Abigale perked up when she saw her friend by her side out of breath, “Oh! You saw that person walking by here too? I couldn’t help but be curious! Don’t find many just wandering around outside anymore.”

His eyes narrowed in fear, “Abigale are you kidding me?! Do you know how dangerous this is? For all we know, this dude could be a maniac waiting to steal your stuff before killing you off! You can’t be chasing people like this.”

“It’s our town Sabry. Nobody ever comes by here unless you live here. Someone could’ve got locked out and needs back in.”

“Or, the more likely probability, it’s someone trying to take our monthly supplies.”

“Maybe. But I saw them enter this big ol’ thing so I’ll knock and see who it is.”

“Abigale stop!”

Her knuckles came into contact with the hard wooden door, a gentle but sturdy knock so her presence could be known. Some kind of female voice shouted back at them, saying they’ll be there in a moment. Sabry has clung to her arm in recoil from the response followed by a nerve wracking few moments of silence. It all melted away like warm butter once the door was finally swung open to reveal none other than Professor Juniper. 

“Hiya Jupiter! Good to see you.” Abigale gleefully greeted.

A sigh of relief flowed from Sabry’s mouth, “Oh thank Arceus it’s just you. Hello Professor.”

“Sabry! Abigale! What a wonderful surprise!” Juniper cheerfully gives the two a hug, “It’s been quite some time since I’ve seen you. What are you doing out here all on your own?”

“I saw you walking by and wanted to know what you were doing hanging out all by yourself.” Abigale responded. 

“I, was trying to make sure Abigale didn’t get hurt wandering off.” Sabry admittedly defeatedly. 

“I see. I was under the impression that I had snuck by, but you have quite the sharp pair of eyes Abigale.” 

“Aw shucks Juniper, you didn’t have to say that.” 

Juniper smiled at the sight of the younger girl blushing over a compliment. It almost made her forget what she was doing in the first place. Her expression snapped into that of realization, “Actually you two have impeccable timing. Mind coming into my lab for a bit? There’s something important I need to ask.”

“I’m not sure, we did just leave our group behind.” Sabry shyly reminded Abigale, trying to drag her arm back to the bunker. 

She jerked back her arm making him lose his grip, “Juniper said this was important! Plus it’s not like she’s a stranger. We should at least listen to what she has to say.”

“Abigale come on, we really should go back-“, Abigale ignored his warning and cut him off, “We’d love to stay and listen!” 

“Thank you both sincerely. Now come on and come inside before any more of this radiation gets in.” 

Juniper held the door open for them both, Sabry giving up the struggle and joining them both inside. The lab wasn’t like the one they spoke of in stories. The metallic coating of the machinery was rusted and dirty much like the rest of the lab. If they didn’t know any better they would have assumed the place really was abandoned. They both took a seat at a table nearby entrance to the old living space once used by Cedric and Juniper. Juniper had taken to starting up some of the fancy looking gadgets up on the back wall. Sabry and Juniper both had taken off their gas masks, a bulky double filtration mask that covered the entire face. Everyone in Nuvema wore it when outside as they didn’t have the luxury of buying anything specialized. Abigale on the other hand didn’t bother removing it. 

“You know it is safe to take that off here right? Your face has to be sore from wearing it.” Sabry made a disgusted face just thinking about having to wear it again going back outside. 

“I’m good, thanks though.”

He questioned his friend’s logic but there wasn’t a point in arguing, “If you say so.”

Juniper has buried herself in her work, leaving her guests to entertain themselves with idle chat. They had no idea what Juniper could have possibly been working on other than it had something to do with them. The tension that was building in the room was thick and generally unearned. It felt like she was working on whatever she had for ages. Sabry really was regretting ever having agreed to doing this. Everyone back in the bunker must have been worried sick. 

Juniper came running into the room, her arms holding a large box wrapped like a present, “So sorry for the wait! Fixing up these last details took much longer than expected.”

She sat down across from the two who had just finished their conversation, “So anyhow I’d like to start off with a question. How would you two like to possibly go on a journey?”

“A JOURNEY?!” They both exclaimed together.

“As in a training journey? With Pokémon and gym battles?” Abigale questioned excitedly.

The professor clapped her hands together, “Bingo! I need some trainers who would be willing to go out into Unova with some Pokémon and record the current state of the Pokémon population.”

Sabry’s head has started throbbing, “Juniper, are you serious about this? Not only is this sudden, it’s super dangerous! Especially right now!”

“You’re absolutely right Sabry. This is a perilous time for Pokémon trainers of any skill level. But that is exactly why this job is so important. The Pokémon population has drastically changed. If we want our environment to ever recover, we need the full scope of the damage that was inflicted. Without such vital information we’ll be stuck in a standstill.”

He shifted uncomfortably in his seat, that headache was getting even worse, “I’m not sure about any of this, this was only our first day out of the bunker to begin with.”

“So what it’s dangerous? If Juniper herself is asking us then all the preparations are already set! All we gotta do is tell everyone we accepted the mission and we’ll be off!” Abigale nearly shoved Sabry off his seat in her form of playful gesturing. 

“That’s the other thing I needed to tell you two about.” She lowered her head solemnly, “You’d have to sneak out without telling anyone here. When I attempted to subtly mention the possibility of having someone go out, they got up in arms. I knew that my only chance of getting anyone to go out was to ask our younger generation.”

That headache had grown to become unbearable, “No offense Professor, I fully believe in your intelligence and methodology, but this is simply ridiculous.”

Abigale spoke up without missing a beat, “Count me in.” 

“Have you actually lost it?” Sabry stuttered. 

“You know I’ve always hated being cooped up in that stupid bunker. This is the perfect excuse to finally get out.” 

“You can’t just leave without telling people! Don’t you see how irresponsible that is?”

“I’d like to remind you that technically speaking we are legal adults.”

“The government making those laws is currently in shambles. They are in no right mindset to be making rules.”

“That law was made way before the war and you know it.”

Sabry shot up from his seat, “My Mom would get worried sick about you!”

Abigale retaliated, asserting her power by towering above him puffing her chest out, “She ain’t my mom so why should I care?”

“How could you just say that?! She’s been taking care of you ever since you were a child! She could have left you to die but she didn’t!”

The two shared unsavory glares of disapproval. Tension building up ever so slowly that would most certainly overflown if it was left unchecked for much longer. 

“Alright now you two, please simmer down a bit.” Juniper spoke up nervously in an attempt to de-escalate the on coming fight. 

Abigale and Sabry both exchanged more dirty glares before both deciding the fight would have gone nowhere. 

“I’ll take up your request Juniper. And don’t even bother trying to convince me out of it.” She sat up in triumph, forcefully facing away from Sabry. 

His excruciating headache made it hard for him to even respond properly. He waved her off acknowledging he heard her. 

Juniper sighed, “I’ll accept it. As for you Sabry?”

“I’m out. I can’t leave everyone behind like that.” He answered weakly, hand glued to his forehead in a futile attempt to heal his ever present pain. 

“Very well. Well then Abigale, in this box here are the very things you’ll need for your adventure. There’s three Pokémon as well as the recently finished Pokédex. I’ll let you take one of each as well as some spare Pokéballs.”

Sabry had an unusual gleam of enthusiasm in his eye, only to be overshadowed by his headache that continued to pound at his nerves. 

“Sweet! Let me at ‘em!” Abigale pounced onto the box only for Juniper to lift it away from her grasp, facepalming onto the table.

“Not yet. To let you go out now would be foolish. You did leave everyone behind to come after me. If you’re that impatient, I’ll wake us up early tomorrow and you can head out then. Deal?”

Crossing her arms in frustration, her head glanced away from the captivating aura of the box, “Ugh, Fine.” 

Juniper’s soft smile melted both of their hearts, “Now time for you to get back home for the night. I think someone in particular will need some help back.”

Stares were shifted to Sabry, who was shaking in pain from his headache that had only gotten worse. Guilt started to set in for Abigale. He always got the worst headaches from stress and to think that she caused him this much pain hurt her. She helped him put his mask back on and offered to lift him up as his support to walk outside. Abigale helped him all the way to the bunker, Juniper following them from behind. They weren’t far away from their destination though that didn’t stop them from being interrupted by one of the townsfolk directing them all to enter the bunker immediately. 

Oh dear, this couldn’t be good.

“What were you two thinking? We thought someone had kidnapped you!” The mayor screeched, Sabry’s Mom worryingly standing by him. 

“Sir, it's not their faults. I’m the one who distracted them with a conversation.” Juniper lied. 

“I suppose that’s not to unlike you. Happy it was with someone from town rather than a stranger. Next time don’t go wandering off like that you hear me?” The mayor boomed. 

“Of course, sorry sir.” Sabry bowed to the best of his current ability. 

“Sure.” Abigale absentmindedly said. 

Everyone went their own ways, off to do whatever they did when the day offered nothing. Sabry was being showered in words of concern and love from his mother who couldn’t have been happier to see him. Abigale resented the sight and went off on her own to plan out her upcoming travels. The rest of the day was nothing more than awkward. Abigale had unintentionally been avoiding Sabry who didn’t much like the thought of his last day with his closest friend being spent without them. 

During dinner when the entire town joined together to eat their rations the tension between them was palpable. No one seem to notice how silent they were from their norm of loud conversations of whatever they had in mind that day. Only Sabry’s Mom noticed the difference in dynamics. When the time finally came for them to go to sleep, they couldn’t avoid each other as they slept in the same room. Guilt was getting to the better of Abigale when she finally spoke up to Sabry before the two went to bed for the night. 

Her leg rose up and lightly kicked the bed above her, “Hey Sabry? You asleep?” 

“I want to be, but you don’t seem to want me to.”

“Can we talk please? I don’t want our last conversation to be on such bad terms.”

The sleepy silence was subtly interrupted by the sound of Sabry climbing down the creaky latter of the bunk bed. He slowly inched his way next to Abigale who was now sitting upright against the bed frame. 

“I’d love to. All this silence has been bothering me as well.”

They both exchanged awkward glances, it was pretty weird being in a dark room together with nothing but themselves and Sabry’s Mom sleeping on the other side of the room. 

It was clear her friend was still having a bit of trouble from earlier, his expression only lightly showing improvement, “That headache starting to loosen up? Did they have anything for it today?” 

“It could be worse. Didn’t have any medicine this time which majorly sucked.” 

“That isn’t so bad, I suppose.” She fidgeted with her fingers, waiting for anything kind of reply from Sabry. Though he didn’t seem to be in the mood to start any conversation so the job was placed to her, “Sorry I was a bit of a jerk at the lab. I got too excited over the idea of leaving.” 

“Jerk is one way to put it.” He coldly reaffirmed. 

“I get it, I was out of hand.”

“Out of hand?!” Sabry scream whispered, “You were this close to beating me up. You got that look you always got before slamming your fist into someone’s face.”

Abigale nervously glanced away, “I was in the moment. Don’t you see how great of an opportunity this is for me? I can finally get out of this cramped hole I’m supposed to call home.”

He paused for a moment, thinking back to his oldest memories to see if she really had always wanted this, “You’re still on about those rumors of that state of the art shelter hidden for the elite aren’t you?”

She buried her face into her hands, embarrassed. He knew her all too well. 

Sometime after the war has officially ended everyone who had associations with the league had gone into hiding for a good few months. Initially no one knew why such an action would take place. Of course this sudden and mysterious action lead to a slew of rumors. One of the most popular theories was that of a high tech bunker that could act as a biodome. A place that perfectly simulated life before the war had taken its toll on the world. A paradise in many people’s minds. A “to good to be true” kind of rumor. However that didn’t stop people from believing. While the gym challenge may never be as commonplace as it once was, it was the little things that could kick the gyms’ purpose back into action. 

Abigale’s silence spoke volumes for him, “So I was right, wasn’t I?” 

“Shut it you. I have more motives than just some very lovely conspiracies.” She grumbled. 

“And to disrespect my mother like that.” 

“I wasn’t trying to okay!” She had to keep control of her voice to avoid waking anyone up, but passion was getting the best of her, “I may have been wrong to be so upfront today but that doesn’t change the fact I wouldn’t be missed here. Admit it, you know it’s true. Everyone here hates me. All I do is cause problems. The only person here who had even given a damn was your mom. And it ain’t like my parents were strong enough to live farther than a few years after my birth.”

She rested her head on his shoulder. To think that all this time her parent’s death affected her this much. Abigale had convinced herself that it was just a way of life. Her way of coping and telling herself that their deaths was inconvenient at most. Yet, she could still feel tiny tears well up in the corners of her eyes. Maybe holding back all of her grief wasn’t her best decision. 

“I wish I would've known this sooner. Anything you want to talk about?”

She sniffled back the last of the tears, chuckling a bit, “I already did, no? Not much else to talk about.”

His shy, sleepy smile would've destroyed her heart instantly if she hadn’t already met her emotional quota, “To change subjects, I assume this means you’ll be leaving tomorrow no matter what, huh?”

“Yep. Not sure exactly what I’ll do once I’m outta here but I’ll figure it out.”

His hand softly rested on her shoulder, “No matter what your plan is, I’ll miss you.”

That particular line killed her on the spot. Dude didn’t have to go that hard after listening to her rather pathetic excuse of a sob story. Nonetheless just hearing him say it was enough to make her smile from cheek to cheek. 

“I’ll miss you too bud. I’ll miss you a lot...”

Both were caught in a moment that was never expected to happen. So lost in their minds that they didn’t notice their hands had intertwined. Losing a friend like this stung a lot more than Abigale expected. He wasn’t dead or dying, neither was she. Truthfully she thought she would leave with no problems leaving her old life. What she failed to take into account was the idea of never seeing Sabry ever again. 

Abigale had broken out of the silence, “Do you have to stay here?”

“Come again? You did hear me say no right?” Sabry asked, taken aback. 

“Don’t think I didn’t see that look you gave that box when Juniper was talking about it. I know you’re not head over heels over it but it’s so much better than living an unfulfilling life down here.”

He shifted his head to the side, hiding his hints of blush, “Of course I was interested. Pokédexs are one of the rarest items around. A treasure trove of knowledge about Pokémon. And a free Pokémon that is undoubtedly on the rare side as well? A once in a lifetime opportunity. I can’t lie and say I wouldn’t mind seeing Unova in its entirety. But I can’t leave everyone behind like this.”

“Not even going to give it a thought?”

“I’m not constantly seeking adventure like you are. I don’t need that rush of excitement to get by. A safe life here is all I need to say I was fine with my decisions.”

“What if I said we could tell your mom before we went?” On cue his eyes widened, “She means a lot to you. Which is understandable as she is your mom. So how about if tomorrow morning when we go we tell your mom before we leave?”

His face was switching between contemplation and disdain. Abigale stared in wonder, a small fire of hope that he would agree and travel with her. Silence took over the room once again until Sabry finally came to a decision. 

“I’ll sleep on it.”

Without a second word, he left her side and climbed back up the bunk bed.   
She climbed up after him, stopping at just the right place so only her head could be seen from his view, “See you tomorrow morning?” 

“See you then.” He shot a light grin before turning to the other side. Overcome in joy, Abigale rushed to bed and shut her eyes to wake up as early as she could the next day. 

Morning came as it tends to do. While the lack of windows made it hard to tell, Abigale’s natural alarm clock woke her up earlier than usual. Perhaps more accurately she was excited about what today was going to bring. She had sneaked out of her room to avoid waking up the others. There was no clear plan as to where she and Juniper were supposed to meet. Waiting right outside her room was the only solid idea Abigale could come up with. It took a bit for Juniper herself to wake up but she had the same idea Abigale had and met up with her at the base of her room. 

Juniper had caught the sight of Abigale out of the corner of her eye, “You’re up, how convenient. Ready to head out?” 

“Not quite. Me and my bud were talking last night and I think he may be interested after all.”

“Oh really? That certainly would make things much more efficient.” Juniper cooed.

“Let’s go ask first, if you can follow me in.”

Sabry and his mother were as sound asleep as before. Abigale reached up an arm shaking Sabry awake. It was a groggy awakening for someone who typically slept in. Though he knew exactly why he was waking up to begin with. Speechlessly he got up from bed and went straight to his mom. Juniper was confused and concerned for the boy, opting to stop him as Abigale stopped her instead. Abigale knew her friend well. He was going to ask for permission to leave as a way to clear his conscience from having to leave without a word. 

His mom was as groggy as her son was, as she too was a late sleeper, “Dear? Is there a reason as to why you decided to wake me up so early?”

He chocked up on the spot, not having the right words to explain, “I... I want to go out to explore Unova.”

She gave him an odd look, as if he had just told her that he had found a mythical outside their door, “What is that supposed to mean sweetie?” She patted her son on the head ruffling his hair. What shocked her was seeing Juniper right behind him, “Oh my! What brings you here professor?”

“It’s about your son’s request. How do I explain this? Um, well I have entrusted Sabry and Abigale to take a Pokémon and dex with them to record the current Pokémon population. And along with that, comes the fact they will have to travel far out to get the information needed... I think you get the point.” Clearly Juniper was out of her element in this scenario. She tripped over her words a bit to get to the point. 

Sabry’s Mom didn’t take this news well for a moment, her tone raised in pitch to that of a panic, “As in, sending these children out in a world that wants them dead?”

“Ma’am this wasn’t something I was going to force upon them or anyone.” Juniper was now in full blown panic mode. Of course she would have the same reaction everyone else did. It was her own children. 

Anger was radiating from her and being directed at poor Juniper. Her words may have not convinced her of anything, though Sabry had yet to say anything of his own. 

“Mom, I know this may seem reckless. I was mortified too when she first asked me. But I’ve been thinking about it, and I want this. I want to be able to help people outside of my circle. The world is a scary place now but that shouldn’t change how we help one another in big ways.”

His mother found it impossible to leave her son so alone. All she wanted was to be there for her baby boy. Despite all this, she couldn’t ignore the fiery passion in his eyes, brown eyes shimmering with confidence. How was she meant to say no to such a noble act filled with so much courage? Sabry was pulled into a firm hug, returning the favor with a hug of his own.   
Juniper heavily sighed in relief when the lingering pain of her wrath had died. 

“Promise me you’ll be safe. That’s all I ask.” She get her baby go, a firm grip still on his shoulders. 

“I’ll give them everything they need to succeed. It’s the least I could do.” Juniper reaffirmed. 

Gradually she took her hands off his shoulder like a mother bird letting her hatchlings fly free from the nest. The gang waved goodbye before existing to go to the lab. 

She couldn’t take her eyes off the door. Life without her baby boy and his friend wasn’t something she was prepared for. A small smile creeped onto her mouth, “He really does remind me of his father.”

After giving Sabry a bit of time to get dressed into his proper attire, everyone had placed masks snuggly on their faces. They braced for the outside and the freezing cold morning air. They really had woken up at the crack of dawn with how no time was given for the sun to warm the ground up. The lab was close by to the bunker entrance and everyone rushed inside to avoid freezing. The box from yesterday hadn’t left its position on the table near the old living quarters. 

Juniper led them over to the table, “As I was saying yesterday, in this box is the choice of three Pokémon and the latest model of the Pokédex. I’ll let you each pick one of the three Pokémon. Then I’ll give you your dex and a set of Pokéballs. After that, the region is yours to explore.” 

Ribbons flew off the packaging along with the lid that held their future partners. Juniper picked up the three Pokéballs and revealed the Pokémon inside. 

Oshawott, the water type Sea Otter Pokémon. A bipedal white-furred Pokémon with a torso covered in fluffy blue fur, dark blue webbed feet and wide flat tail. Can’t forget its adorable little face with a big brown nose and long whiskers. It’s weapon of choice being a cream colored seashell shaped item called a scalchop that could slice through opponents with ease. 

Tepid, the fire type Fire Pig Pokémon. An orange-furred pig Pokémon with striking black fur on its back torso, the top of its head, and its ears. It’s signature look being completed with a bright red nose and yellow fur that rested above the nose. A powerhouse Pokémon that can summon power fire attacks from its nose or the bright red orb at the end of its curled tail. Paired up with a power set of legs that can support a great deal of weight for massive damage. 

Last but certainly not least, Snivy, the grass type Grass Snake Pokémon. A high and mighty thin snake-like body that’s a calming green color with a soft yellow underbelly. The look being complete with a regal set of yellow protrusions above the arms that hide a set of grass whips. It’s small legs and leaf-like arms allow for smooth transition between walking and slithering making this Pokémon a master of speed and stealth. The big three pointed leaf at the end of its tail can photosynthesize and is the primary source of many of its moves. 

Even as Unovan native starter Pokémon, these few were among some of the hardest to find out in the wild. The nuclear fallout making them near the rarity of that of a legendary. Any one of them would make a great partner as they had been known for being very beginner friendly. 

As soon as Abigale saw the Pokémon she knew which one she wanted, “I’ll be taking Snivy. His presence is to strong for me to ignore.” 

“Don’t you think the grass type is a bit counter intuitive given what kind of Pokémon are common?” Sabry offhandedly asked, still looking at the Pokémon before him. 

Snivy graciously climbed up Abigale’s legs and situated itself a comfy seat on her shoulders, “You have a point, but I thought that a grass type would be nice to have anyhow. They aren’t nearly as easy to find so why not get one now? Grass types do have a lot of unique uses.” 

“I can see how you came to that conclusion. In fact...”

Sabry reached his hand out towards the Tepig, who beat him to the punch and nuzzled the palm of his hand, “I’ll take Tepig. Unova never had many fire types to begin with and I can see fire being a bit more useful now than water or grass.”

“Perfect! Happy to see you getting along with your Pokémon so well already. I’ll go get your Pokéballs and set up your dexes so they are registered under your names, but how about you come up with a nickname for your Pokémon while I’m gone.” 

Juniper playfully skipped by them back into her lab. Abigale was certain her partner was the right one. They had such a cool and steady vibe with how they carried themselves. The slick movements of just exploring around their new trainer was amazing to watch. No way they didn’t have battle instincts from the get go.   
Sabry on the other hand was content with his pick. The fire Pokémon was much more hyperactive than he could keep up with, but all that energy matched perfectly with his fiery passion. 

Playtime was cut short by the loud beeping of the machine that held their dexes. Juniper popped them out of the station and grabbed twenty nearby Pokéballs. Stuffing ten of each into two blue backpacks. 

“I’m back with your dexes!” Juniper sang, “I also have decided that it would be wise of me to give you a bag so you can carry your things. They aren’t anything fancy and aren’t the most roomy, but it gets the job done.”

The bags were identical to one another. A slim blue and white side bag that had clips for carrying Pokéballs on the handle. Abigale took her respective bag and swung it around the shoulder. She stuffed her dex in the bag and returned Snivy into its ball, clipping it to one of the six clips. Sabry followed suit only instead he checked the information the Pokédex gave to him about his Tepig. 

“Do either of you plan on nicknaming your Pokémon?” Juniper asked. 

Abigale pipped up, “Definitely! My Snivy here will from now on be known by Minty. Pretty good, no?” 

“Guess that ain’t so bad, certainly have heard worst.” Sabry jested, “I think I’ll be nicknaming too. Heard it help build bonds with your Pokémon. So I’ll name Tepig Clancy.”

Abigale playfully nudged him, “You’re just going to give him a human name? Lame!”

He playfully nudged her back, “At least I didn’t name my Pokémon off of an ice cream flavor.”

“Before I let you two go, do you have any questions for me? Anything about how to catch Pokémon or how the league works?”

“I know how to catch Pokémon. If Abigale can’t figure it out I’ll teach her.” Sabry proudly responded. 

“Hey! Just because you read a bit more than me doesn’t mean I don’t know basics like catching. Though the league is simple enough to understand. Get eight badges the fight the Elite 4 and champion.” 

Juniper shook Abigale’s and Sabry’s hands, “If you're confident you have this, then you’re good to go. You’re on your own from here. Best of luck to both of you.”

“Thanks again Juniper! We won’t let you down!” Abigale exclaimed. 

“We’ll see you later in the future. And get all that data you need while we’re at it.”

With that, the two brand new trainers opened the lab doors that lead them into the wild unknown. A rush of adrenaline flew through them, a welcomed sensation to Abigale and a completely new one for Sabry. The world may be cruel, but that never stopped anyone from trying to surpass the odds.


End file.
